Lather making machine and method of making lather



E. M. BROWN LATHERMAKING MACHINE AND METHOD OF MAKING LATHER Aug. 8,1950 Filed Sept. 16, 1949 "illlllllliiz i'h Patented Aug. 8, 1950 LATHERMAKING MACHINE AND METHOD OF MAKING LATHER Ellis M. Brown, Racine, Wis.,assignor to ohn Oster Manufacturing Company, Racine, W1s., a corporationof Wisconsin Application September 16, 1849, Serial No; 116,011

This invention relates to the art of making lather suitable for shavingand to lather-making machines of the type intended for use by barbers.

Commercially available lathermaking machines suitable for use in barbershops now operate upon either of two principles. Either a premixedliquid soap is fed into a lathering chambar where a, power drivenagitator Whips air into the solution to produce the desired lather as inthe Jensen Patent No. 2,052,569 issued September l, 1936, or, as in theRolstad et a1, Patent No. 2,344,170, issued March 14 1944, an effort ismade to duplicate the action of the conventional hand brush wipingacross the surface of a bar of soap.

In both instances there are serious objections. In one case theinconvenience of having to mix up the liquid soap and the difliculty ofobtaining the proper consistency is an obstacle and in the other brushtype of machine the brushes wear oif and must be replaced at regularintervals.

In recognition of these disadvantages it is an object of the presentinvention to provide an improved method of making lather which ischaracterized by the fact that neither liquid soap nor brushes are usedbut instead a turbulence is set up in a confined chamber partiallydefined by the surface of a bar or cake of soap and to which air andwater are fed in quantities suitable for continuous lathermaking.

Another object of this invention is to provide a, lathermaking machinewherein the action of the machine itself automatically and continuouslyproduces a soap solution of the proper ,1

concentration and continuously converts solution reaching lathermakingconcentration into lather.

Another objection of this invention is to provide a lathermaking machinewhich uses a solid cake of soap.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lathermaking machine inwhich the necessary soap solution is produced solely by the action ofWater recurrently flowing across the surfaceof a cake of soap.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lathermaking machinewherein a mechanical agitator having permanent blades travelling in adefined orbit spaced from the walls of a chamher in which the lather ismade and from the surface of a cake of soap held .in one wall of thechamber and exposed to the interior thereof creates a turbulence withinthe chamber which 6 Claims. (Cl. 299-84) the exposed surface of the soapto produce a soap solution solely by the action of the water on the soapand then converts the resulting solution into a lather.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, this invention resides in the new and improvedmethod of making lather and in the machine therefor Withits novelconstruction, combination and arrangements of parts all substantially ashereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appendedclaims, it being understood thatsuch changes in the precise embodimentof the hereinrdiscl-osed invention may be made as come within the scopeof the claims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one complete example of thephysical embodiment of the inventionconstructed according to the bestmode so far devisedfor the practical application of the principlesthereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a lathermaking machine embodying thisinvention, parts thereof being broken awa to more clearly illustrate:

the essential features;

Figure 2 is a, cross sectional view taken through :Eigurel on the planeof the line 2--2; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken on the same planeas Figure 2 but illustrating a slightly modified manner of holding thesoap in place.

Reierring nowparticularly to the accompanying drawings in which likenumerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 5designatesthe housing or body of a lathermaker machine embodying thisinvention the interior of which is formed to provide a lathering chamber6 and a water tank l. A removable cover 8 closes the topof the tank andan electric heater 9 of any suitable construction is mounted under thetank to keep the water warm.

A standpipe l-il extends up from the lathering chamber within the tank 1to provide an air inlet port leading from the atmosphere into thelathering. chamber, and extending out through the side of the machine isa lather discharge port II. This discharge port is preferably equippedwith a hinged cover 12 and is shaped to drain. back into the latheringchamber.

The bottom of the lathering chamber 6 opens to a soap receptacle 13adapted to receive a bar or cake of soap M with its top surfaceproviding the bottom for the lathering chamber. The receptacle [3 opensto the bottom of the machine and is closed by a removable plug [5threaded into serves to efiect recurrent flower the wateriacross .55place as shown. Preferably the soap receptacle invention in a practicalmanner.

is cylindrical and of a diameter to fit the bar or cake of soap.

A peripheral ledge It at the top of the soap receptacle provides a stopagainst which the bar or cake of soap bears and by which the positionthereof is defined. If desired, a suitable spring I! is interposedbetween the plug I5 and the bottom of the bar or cake of soap in whichcase a thrust plate It covers the soap. The spring I! holds the bar orcake of soap in its position defined by the ledge IE, but it has beenfound that such accurate positioning of the soap is not necessary andhence the simpler construction shown in Figure 3 may be employed.

Water in limited quantities is permitted to flow into the latheringchamber from the tank 1 through an inlet passage H3.v The amount ofwater flowing through this passage is controlled by a rotatable valvesleeve which has a number of ports 2| varying in size and selectivelyregisterabl with the mouth of the passage H! by rotation of the sleeve28. The ports 2| are of such sizes that even with the largest thereof inuse, the water entering the lathering chamber would be characterized asa trickle. The amount of water and the rate of its admission to thechamber is one of the prinpical factors determining the consistency ofthe lather. Hence, that port size is used which admits just enough waterto assure the desired consistency and when this selection is right waterentering the chamber substantially equals the amount of water leavingthe chamber as part of the expelled lather.

A valve plug 22 provides means for shutting off the how of water intothe'lathering chamber, and for convenience the handle 23 which controlsthis valve plug also actuates a switch 24 which controls the operationof an electric agitator motor 25. The shaft 26 of the motor enters thelathering chamber to mount an agitator 21.

The agitator may be of an suitable material, form and design but in theembodiment shown consists in a pair of permanent stainless steelhoop-like blades fixed to the motor shaft 26. Hence the agitator bladestravel in a fixed orbit, and this orbit is so related to the definedposition of a bar or cake of soap held in the receptacle, l3 that at notime do the agitator blades have physical contact with the soap; nor dothey contact the walls of the lathering chamber. However, as clearlyshown in the drawing the orbit or path of the agitator blades sweepsacross the exposed surface of the soap cake in juxtaposition thereto.

The machine above described provides one convenient means for practicingthe method of the The method is, of course, characterized by the factthat it involves neither liquid soap nor brushes. Reduced to itssimplest aspect the method consists in introducing water in a confinedspace in an amount and at a rate to substantially replace the Waterabsorbed in the formation of the lather, forming a soap solution byeffecting recurrent impingement of a small volume of this water upon andflow thereof along or across a bar or cake of soap within a confinedspace, solely by the force of a turbulence 0f the air and water in theconfined space, and by said turbulence, aerating or combining air withthe forming soap solution to cause solution reaching lathermakingconcentration to be converted into lather.

Thus it will be seen that where with past methods of making latherresults were either unsatisfactory or unpredictable, the method of thisinvention assures the successful making of 4 lather at all times sinceit automatically effects correct proportioning of the air, water andsoap.

In the machine described the agitator blades, being constrained totravel in a fixed orbit spaced from but passing in juxtaposition to thesurface of the soap, set up the turbulence necessary to effect recurrentimpingement of the water in the lathering chamber upon and fiow thereofacross and along the exposed surface of the soap, it being understoodthat the walls of the lathering chamber coact with the agitator in thisfunction. The agitator also acts directly upon the water, the soapsolution and the forming lather in the chamber to augment the action ofthe turbulent air thereon; and as Soon as any portion of the formingsoap solution reaches lathermaking concentration, the agitator and theturbulence produced thereby converts that portion of the solution intolather.

Since shaving lather consists of myriad tiny soap bubbles, its formationin the lathering chamber results in some of the air in the chamber beingtrapped in each tiny bubble. Hence, it follows that as the formation oflather proceeds, more and more of the ulage of the lathering chamberbecomes filled with these tiny bubbles until at last the entire chamberis filled with bubbles and forming bubbles. When this stage is reachedthe bubbles being formed coact with the agitator to crowd those alreadyformed out of the chamber through the discharge port II which is openwhen the machine is in use. This is a continuous process. To assure thecontinuance of this process and achieve the conversion of the soapsolution into lather, i. e. form the tiny bubbles, with the rapidityrequired, it is essential that the water be fed to the chamber in themanner described, 1. e. at a rate to substantially replace the waterabsorbed in the lather expelled from the chamber, and that the airbeadmitted to the chamber through a vent opening to the atmosphere ,insuch a manner that the relatively closed condition of the chamber willnot be lost. If these requirements are met and the soap is of goodlathermaking quality, the rapid formation of lather suitable for shavingis assured, since, as noted before, the correct proportioning of theair, water and soap is automatic with the air and water entering thechamber as it is needed .to replace that leaving the chamber as aninherent part of the lather. After the desired amount of lather has beenexpelled the valve and switch actuating handle 23 is simply actuated toshut off'water admission and stop the agitator motor.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing it will be readily apparent that this invention has substantialadvantages over past lather making methods and machines therefor andthat while the machine. of this invention is intended primarily forusein barber shops to provide a sanitary source of latherfor shaving, itis also useful in washrooms to provide soap lather for washing.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A lathermaking machine, comprising: means defining a substantiallyclosed lathering chamber adapted to hold water and having an entrancefor air; 'means for holding a cake of soap with a surface thereofexposed to the interior of the lathering chamber; and means coactingwith the walls of the chamber and said surface of the soap for creatinga turbulence of air and water amete in the chamber and for effectingrecurrent impingementr of water in the chamber upon-i-said exposedsurface of. thehsoapsto thereby form. a soap solution of increasingconcentration. and for combining air with thesoap solution toconvertsolution reaching. lathermaking concentration into lather, said meanscomprising a. power driven agitator. within the lathering chamber havingagitating means thereon constrainedto move in a path all portionsofwhich are: spaced from. said exposed surfacevof the soap and the wallsof the chamber and which path has a portion thereof in juxtaposition tosaid exposed surface of the soap.

2. A lathermaking machine, comprising: means defining a substantiallyclosedlathering chamber; a soap holder adapted to hold a cake of soapwith at least one surface thereof exposed to the interior of thelathering chamber; means for feeding water in small controlled volume tothe lathering chamber; means providing an air vent leading from thechamber to the atmosphere; means providing a discharge port in one wallof the chamber and through which lather may be expelled from thechamber; and means coacting with the walls of the chamber and saidexposed surface of the soap for creating a turbulence of air and waterin the chamber and for effecting recurrent impingement Of water in thechamber upon said exposed surface of the soap to thereby form a soapsolution of increasing concentration and for combining air with the soapsolution to convert solution reaching lathermaking concentration intolather, said means comprising a power driven agitator within thelathering chamber having permanent blades constrained to travel in afixed orbit, all portions of said orbit being spaced from the walls ofthe chamber and from the exposed surface of the soap but a portion ofsaid orbit being in juxtaposition to the exposed surface of the soap sothat the agitator blades sweep across but not in contact with theexposed surface of the soap.

3. The lather making machine of claim 2 further characterized by thefact that the soap holder is so disposed with respect to the meansdefining the lathering chamber that the exposed surface of a bar of soapheld thereby defines one wall of the chamber.

4. A lathermaking machine, comprising: means defining a latheringchamber; a soap receptacle in a wall of the lathering chamber adapted tohold a cake of soap with a surface thereof exposed to the interior ofthe lathering chamber; a water tank adjacent to the lathering chamber; acontrolled passage connecting the tank with the lathering chamber andthrough which water may flow from the tank into the lathering chamber insmall enough volume to assure production of good lather; means providingan air inlet into the lathering chamber; and a motor driven agitatorwithin the lathering chamber having blades which move in an orbit allportions of which are spaced from the walls of the chamber and theexposed surface of the soap so that the blades have no physical contactwhatsoever with the chamber walls or the soap, but a portion of theorbit of said agitator blades passing close enough to the exposedsurface of the soap that the agitator blades are capable of throwingwater against said surface of the soap, said agitator coacting with thewalls of the lathering chamber and the exposed surface of the soap toefiect recurrent impingement of the water upon and flow thereof acrossthe exposed surface of the 6 soap to thereby produce a soap solutionsolely by the action of the water on the soap and convert soap solutionof lathermaking concentration into lather; and means providing adischarge port in a wall of the chamber through which-the lather thusproduced is expelled. f

5. A lathermaking ma'chinacomprising; means defining a latheringchamber; means defininga soap receptacle opening into the latheringchamber; a rotatable power driven agitator shaft. entering the latheringchamber; agitator bladeson the shaft revolvable thereby in afixedlorbit, all portions. ofwhich are spaced. from the walls of the latheringchamber and. which sweeps across the mouth of the soap receptacle;meansfor holding a cake of soap in the receptacle infa defined positionwith one surface of the soap exposed to the interior of the latheringchamber in juxtaposition to but spaced from the orbit of the agitatorblades; means for feeding water in a mere trickle to the latheringchamber; means for supplying air to the lathering chamber, the latheringchamber being substantially closed and of a size and shape to confineits contents to the zone of influence of the agitator so that the wallsof the chamber and the agitator coact to effect recurrent flow of thewater across the exposed surface of the soap to produce a soap solutionof increasing concentration and convert soap solution of lathermakingconcentration into lather; and means defining a lather discharge port ina wall of the chamber.

6. The hereindescribed method of making shaving lather by the combinedaction of air and water upon a cake of soap in an enclosure defining achamber vented to the atmosphere and having a lather discharge port,which method comprises: holding the cake of soap with a surface thereofexposed to the interior of the chamber; creating a turbulence of the airwithin the chamber solely by agitation carried out within the chamber ina zone spaced from the exposed surface of the cake of soap utilizing theturbulence thus created to effect recurrent impingement of the water inthe chamber upon the soap to form a soap solution which increases inconcentration as agitation continues; aerating the forming soap solutionby the turbulence within the chamber to cause soap solution reachinglathermaking concentration to be converted into lather; expelling theformed lather from the chamber; introducing water into the chamber in avolume and at a rate to substantially replace the water leaving thechamber as an inherent part of the lather expelled from the chamber; andtaking air into the chamber through its vent to replace the airentrapped in the tiny bubbles which comprise the lather as the lather isexpelled from the chamber.

ELLIS M. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,139,352 De Vito May 11, 19151,281,603 Leyer Oct. 15, 1918 1,457,895 Campanella June 5, 19231,491,212 Thomson et al. Apr. 22, 1924 1,554,147 Wager Sept. 15, 19251,554,148 Wager Sept. 15, 1925 (Other references on following page)UNTI'ED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Cantrell June 12, 1928 EmpsonJuly 8, 1930 Jensen Nov. 18, 1930 Wager Mar. 31, 1931 Wagener Sept. 1,1931 Rolstad June 20, 1933 Burlingham Mar. 13, 1934 Clayton Apr. 14,1936 Jensen Sept. 1, 1936 Rolstad Oct. 20, 1936 Cantrell July 5, 1938Dobkin Dec. 13, 1938 Campbell Feb. 27, 1940 Langhaus Dec. 17, 1940Tuttle Sept. 23, 1941 Number Number 15 17,971

Name Date Boerger Nov. 10, 1942 Wahl Feb. 9, 1943 Wahl Feb. 9, 1943 LoCascio et a1 May 18, 1943 Campbell July 6, 1943 Rolstad et a1 Mar. 14,1944 Rowan Sept. 12, 1944 Massion Jan. 7, 1947 Hussey Aug. 12, 1947Neuburger Aug. 17, 1948 McGowan Aug. 2, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS CountryDate Great Britain Sept. 26, 1895

